Rotating wire cutoff for extrusion machines



Nov; 20, 1962 w.- H. GENiCH ROTATING WIRE CUTOFF FOR axmsmn mums Filed Jan. 25, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 20, 1962 w. 1-1. GENICH ROTATING WIRE CUTOFF FOR EXTRUSION MACHINES Filed Jan. 25, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. l/V/LZ MM H 6A//C// Nov. 210 1962 H'. GENICH RQTATING' WIRE CU'IOFF FOR EXTRUSION MACHINES Filed. Jam. 25, 19661; 4 Sheets-Sheet 3' INVENTOR. W/LL/AM f/V/CH ,4 Tram/2w 1962 H. GENFCH 3,964,589

ROTATING WIRE? CUTOFF FOR' EXLRUSIQN: MACHINES Filed 25, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 4;

United States Patent 3,064,589 RUTATING WIRE CUTOFF FOR EXTRUSION MACHINES The invention here disclosed relates to machines of the type disclosed in copending patent application Serial No. 750,137, filed July 22, 1958, issued January 24, 1961, as Patent No. 2,969,026 and is a continuation in part of that patent.

Special objects of this invention have been to provide mechanism for severing the extruded material, which will cut the material clean and sharp, without dragging or shredding, which will operate rapidly and positively and which with all these desirable features will be of simple, inexpensive construction, applicable to candy, dough and other such machines presently in use.

Further important objects of the invention are to provide accurate, self-clearing cutoff mechanism and in a form which may be readily mounted on or be removed from the extruding machine.

Other desirable objects accomplished by the invention and the novel features of construction, combination and relation of parts by which all such objects are attained are set forth and will appear in the course of the following specification.

The drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification illustrate a present practical embodiment of the invention. Structure however may be modified and changed as regards the immediate illustration, all within the true intent and scope of the invention as hereinafter defined and claimed.

FIG. 1 in the drawings is a broken side elevation of the cutoff mechanism as applied to an extruder of the type shown in the copending patent above identified, this view showing the drive connections extending from the motor at the top down to the rotatably mounted wire forming the spinning cutoff element.

FIG. 2 is a broken plan view of the same parts.

FIG. 3 is a broken side elevation of the opposite side of the machine from that shown in FIG. 1 and showing in particular the cam mechanism for keeping the wire horizontal in the cutoff movement and the means for adjusting the level of the wire with respect to the nozzles.

FIG. 4 is a broken vertical sectional view substantially on line 44 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged broken part sectional detail on substantially the plane of line 5--5 of FIG. 4 showing one of the rods rotatably supporting the wire between the nozzles.

FIG. 6 is a sectional detail on substantially the plane of line 66 of FIG. 4 showing how the forward section of the frame carrying the rotating wire is detachably mounted on the rock shaft which supports it.

In the several views portions of an extruding machine similar to that of the patent referred to are shown comprising a hopper 7 for the cream, fondant or other material having at one side an intermittently advanced feed roll 8 and at the opposite side an oscillating roll 9 carrying a blade for positively discharging the material to the nozzles 13.

The expeller roll 9 is shown operated from a cam 18 on shaft 19 through connecting rod 20 engaged with a bell crank rocker 21 pivoted at 22 and connected by link 23 and intermediate rocker 23' with the crank arm 24 on the end of the expeller roll shaft 25.

The cutoff mechanism comprises a rotating wire 47 supported at the ends in journals 7 i3, 71 rotatably mounted in the ends of lever arms 72, 73 connected in parallelism by rods 74, 75 to form a rigid frame.

The wire' is secured in properly tensionedrelation as by tension screw 76 in the end journal 71 and it is supported between the nozzles by spaced rods 77 projecting from cross bar 74 and having open bearings 78 in the ends of the same receiving and rotatably supporting the Wire.

The drive of the wire is effected from motor 49 mounted on the frame of the machine and connected by belt 50 with pulley 51 journaled on the end of rock shaft 59 and carrying a sprocket 53 connected by chain 54 with a sprocket 79, carrying gear 80 in mesh with gear 81 journaled on the side bar 72 and carrying a sprocket 82 connected by chain 83 with sprocket 84 on the end bearing 70 of the wire.

The side bars 72, 73 of the wire frame are mounted to pivot about the center 61 which is provided by a shaft connecting the lower ends of the side arms 60', FIG. 4, dependent from the ends of rock shaft '59.

Rock shaft 59 is oscillated in bearings 85, FIG. 4, through a rocker arm 58 connected by link 57 with cam 56 on the drive shaft 19.

As this is a simple oscillating movement the cam 56 and cam follower 57 may be replaced by an eccentric and eccentric strap form of operating connection.

As the frame carrying the rotating wire is bodily oscillated by the swinging arms 69 it is tilted about the axis 61 to maintain the rotating wire at the proper cutting level on the forward stroke and to lower it and carry it hack free of the nozzles on the retractive or recovery stroke.

The means for such purposes comprise a cam 62 on the end of drive shaft 19 engaged by a plunger 63 carrying at its lower end, FIG. 3, a guide cam 64 for a pin or roll 65 on the end of a lever 86 extended back from the rock shaft 61.

The cam follower push rod 63 is shown guided for vertical movement in a bracket 66 and as held in cooperative engagement with the cam by spring 67.

For height adjustment of the wire the lever 86 is shown as carrying spaced projections 87, 88 provided with adjustable abutment screws 89, 90 engageable with lug 91 keyed to and projecting from the shaft 61 carrying the rotating wire frame.

It will be clear from FIG. 3 that downward adjustment of set screw 89 will effect lowering of the rotating wire and that upward adjustment of screw 90 will effect lifting of the wire, thus to enable proper setting of the cutting wire in respect to the nozzles.

The rotary cutting wire is made readily removable from and replaceable in the machine by making the side bars 72 and 73 readily disconnectable from and connectable to the mounting shaft 61.

This is accomplished by forking the ends of these bars as indicated at '92 FIG. 6 to slidingly engage over blocks 93 correspondingly shaped and positioned on shaft 61.

The frame bars 72, 73 are removably secured in this relation, with gear 81 journaled on bar 72 in mesh with gear 80, FIG. 1, by set screws 94, FIG. 6, which bind the forked ends of the bars on the mounting blocks.

On loosening screws 94 the frame carrying the rotary cutting wire may be removed from the rock shaft 61, this action separating the gear 81 from the driving gear 80. In replacing the frame the gear 81 which drives the cutting wire will be re-engaged with gear 80.

The removal and replacement of the cutting wire frame can thus be effected without changing the height adjustment of the wire at 89, 90 and without effecting the tracking mechanism for keeping the wire level on the cutting stroke and lowering it on the return stroke.

The height controlling cam track 64 is shown in FIG.

3 as curved to ofiset or compensate for the up and down travel of the mounting shaft 61 in the swinging movement of the frame carrying arms 60 and the cam 62 is shown as having a drop 95 serving to lower the cutting wire clear of the nozzle on the return stroke.

The cutting wire mounted for rotation on its own longitudinal axis and rotating toward the nozzles as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 1 cuts cleanly through the extruded material without stretching, tearing or otherwise disturbing the texture or character of the material. The mechanism required is relatively simple and may readily be built into machines in production or be combined with machines presently in use. Because of its rotary movement and smooth round shape the wire may be adjusted to travel close to or to actually make engagement with the nozzle, the spacing supports 77 providing a rolling contact keeping both nozzle and wire bright and smooth.

While ordinarily suflicient, on a narrow machine, to drive the wire from one end, as herein illustrated, on the wider machines the wire may be driven from both ends, the present invention contemplating and including that further variation.

What is claimed is: v

Cutoff mechanism for an extruding machine having a nozzle for discharging extruded material and comprising the combination of a supporting frame, journal members frame including an oscillating member to which said frame is removably secured and said rotary drive connections including inter-meshing gears, one carried by said frame and the other carried by said oscillating member Y and separable from each other at the point of separation of said frame from said oscillating member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 869,816 Vrooman Oct. 29, 1907 1,263,385 Delas Apr. 23, 1918 1,451,079 Millsaps Apr. 10, 1923 2,090,095 Bainbridge Aug. 17, 1937 2,488,046 Werner et a1 Nov. 1'5, 1949 2,588,725 Hogan Mar. 11, 1952 2,838,012 Weidenmiller et a1 June 10, 1958 

